"What did McGonagall want?" Remus Lupin asked his two best friends as they walked into the dormitory and sat on the end of his bed.
"The usual."
"We'll end up in Azkaban."
"You will. Or dead. Have you two even decided what you're doing when you leave?" Remus had known for years it would be difficult for him, as a werewolf, to find paid employment, and had resigned himself to that fact, but the other two, who would both do brilliantly in their exams, would have to get out into the world and work. They looked at each other worriedly, James nodded and beckoned the fourth boy in the room over. Sirius took a deep breath.
"We want to fight."
"Fight?"
"Against Voldemort." Remus couldn't speak. He should have expected it, Sirius and James despised the dark arts, he should have expected they would do everything they could to destroy the dark lord. He should have expected it, but he hadn't. He knew his face had paled and he turned to look at Peter, who let out a pained squeak. Turning back to the others, who were looking more worried by the second he sighed.
"You could…"
"Don't say it, Remus!"
"We don't care if we do. We've talked about it and we've agreed, we want to fight, we're old enough to know what we're doing, we can't sit back and let other people get hurt while we live the good life."
"But you'd be safe if you just… you three would be safe I mean, I wouldn't but…"
"Exactly. You're part of us aren't you? And we're doing this for you."
"And for Lily."
"And for every half blood, muggle born or muggle out there." Remus said nothing, just glanced towards the window. Peter looked petrified. Sirius patted his shoulder. Remus felt James' hand on his back, he turned slowly to look at him.
"We want to do this, we need to do this."
"What if you die?"
"Then bury us together. Write Marauders on our grave stones. Tell everyone we died fighting for what was right. Tell everyone we loved our friends. Tell them that Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs were the world's greatest trouble makers. Tell them we did the right thing, tell the world we wanted this, that we welcomed it, tell them we'd do anything to destroy Voldemort. But most of all, bury us together, that's most important. Right, Padfoot?"
"Most important."
"What if I die? Can I be buried with you?"
"You…?"
"You didn't think we'd let you fight on your own, did you? We'll be there too, won't we Peter?" Peter nodded reluctantly, his face flooded with fear, he had never been all that brave but if his friends were joining the fight against Voldemort he wouldn't be left behind, he'd fight alongside them, because that's what they did, Remus thought, that's what they'd always done. Stuck together. Ever since first year, and no matter what none let the others down, no matter what, they hadn't turned their backs on him for being a werewolf because they all stuck together. "If Voldemort wants one us, he'll have to kill us all."
"And the Marauders will not go quietly."
"Not a chance." Sirius grinned and lay back on the bed, looking cheerful despite the atmosphere. James lay back beside him, soon Remus and Peter joined them, none of the four saying a word, each dwelling on their own thoughts. They knew this war wouldn't be easy, not for any of them, but they had each other, and friendship mattered most, they mattered most, they all trusted each other with their lives, and each of them would lay down their life to help another. They stared at the ceiling for some time, still not talking. Sirius sat up eventually. "Do you think they'd bury us under the Whomping Willow?"
"What d'you want to be buried under there for?" James asked, rising to sit too.
"Because he's an idiot." Remus put in."
"I thought we weren't dying?" Peter said, pulling himself up to a sitting position.
"Hypothetically." Remus said.
"Hypo what now?"
"We're not dying. Not yet. We're going to win."
"It's not a game, Padfoot." The serious tone returned to the room and one by one they lay back down again, Remus' words ringing in their ears. It's not a game.
A/N: That one was rather short, but then again, I did say short chapters!
